Improvement in car-couplings



LA. voGLER.

` K cAR-coUPLING.

No.174,326. V' PatanteaFehzeJae.

.dttnrney v UNTED STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. vo-GLEE, 0E ERANKEOED, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN cAR-copPLlNGsn.

Specification formingV part of Letters Patent No. 174,326, dated February 29, 1876; application filed y January 24, 1876. l

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. VOGLER, of Frankford, in the county ot' Franklin and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Self-Actin g Gouplers for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact deA scription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to I make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my in-f vention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan'of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

This improvement comprises anattachment which may be applied to any ofthe draw-heads commonly in use, or may be manufactured in connection with draw-heads of any known style; and it consists, first, of an automatic extensionframe arranged to slide in and out under the draw-head, and by its movement to effect the following results: (a) the proper support of: the outer end of the coupling-link, so as to insure the proper entrance ot' the same inthe opposite draw-head when coupling; b j

the raising of the coupling-pin, and release again of the same, toadmir said link, or to release the same, as lthe desired operation is to couple or uncouple; second, in a sliding gate, moving up and down in the'front end of the before-mentioned slide, and operated by a weighted lever, the object being to raise the,

I raising the coupling-pin, to admit the lilik or release the same, as the object is to uneouple or couple.

That others may more fully understand my invention, I will particularly describe it. A is a part ofthe draw-headof an ordinary pattern, and B is the case in which the operative partsv of my invention are placed. Said case is attached to the under side of the drawhead A. The slide C has guides inside of the ease B, in which to slide longitudinally, 'and it is provided with a helical spring, D, the front end of which is secured to the front end of the oase B, and its rear end to the rearrend of theslide 0, so that said spring is drawn out or liieXed when the slide C is forced in, and by its reaction said slide is forced out again as soon as liberated. At the front end of the slide. C there is a gate, E, which moves-in slides up and down at the front end of the slide O, and said gate is operated by a weighted lever, F, whichA is pivoted in the slide C, and connected to said gatel by a link, c. If desired or found advisable, two levers,

one on each side of the frame, may be used in1 place of the center lever, as by this means the gate E can be kept in a horizontal position \when in action. y

' The weighted end of the lever F is held up by a slip-bolt, b, and when said bolt is withdrawn the weighted end of said lever drops down, and the'gate E isthereby-raised, as shown in Fig. l. The purpose of this is to elevate the outer or front end ofthe link G, to correspond with the height of the draw-head withv which it is designed to couple. If the said draw-head is slightly lower than the drawhead A, then the gate E would not be called into operation, and the lever F would remain supported by the bolt b.

One of the side bars of the slide O is provided with an-otch, (shown in dotted lines at a, Fig. 3,)and into this notch a small weighted detent or pawLH, engages when the slide E is pushed into its case B, and holds said slidey until released by the removal of said pawl H. This may be effected by the angle-lever I, which bears upon the outer end of said detent, and may be ca used to remove the same from engagement with its notch n.

The operation of this part of my invention is simple and easily understood. When released, the slide (l is caused to run out by the spring D, and the forward end of the link G is thereby supported in position ready for entrance into the opposite draw-head, and is held until actual collision with said opposite drawhead and the properentrance of said link therein. The slide Gis driven into its case B,

.case may require.

where it is caughtby the detent H and retained until the uncoupling takes place.

One of the side bars of the Aslide C is provided with a rack, J, the teeth of which mesh with the leaves ot' a pinion, K, and cause the sameto rotate as said slide moves in or out.

A pulley, L, is Imounted, upon the endl of the shaft of the pinion K, and from said pulley a cord or chain passes upward over pulleys or rollers in the upper end of a galloWs-frame, M, above the draw-head, and downto the head of the piu N, so that, in whichever direction said slide may move, the pulley L will be rotated, and the pin N will be raised high enough to admit ar release the link. G, as the But the rack J is shorter than the range of movement of the slide, and,

therefore, goes out of gear with the pinion;v K at each vend -of its movement,^so that said pinion and its pulley is liberated, and the pin N willimmediately drop into its place again by itsv own gravity. u

It can be readily seen that the device for lifting and releasing the pin N can -be simplil ed, and other movements thauthe 'rack and pinion substituted. The raising'and lowering of the pin N bythe operation of the slide C, produced lby the collision of the two drawheads, is the'lnain point, and the device used in connection therewith secondary thereto.

When two cars are tobe coupled, the position of theparts is indicated in Fig. l; the

' only difference being that in said figure the forward movement ot' the slide has not been completed, and the couplingpin is stilll elevated. The front end of the link is eleva-ted and ready to enter the opposite draw-head.

When the draw-heads come in contact the link enters, and the slide is driven into its case andheld there, asv shown in Fig. 3. The opposite draw-head being affected in the same manner, the pin thereof has been raised by the revolution of its pinion and pulley to ad- Vmitthe link, and hasfallen again into place,

so that the coupling is completed. The similar raising of the pin N produces no harm,.because the link G cannot in the act of coupling become displaced. To uncouple it is only necessary to press the lever I and -withdraw the dctent H, when the slide will immediately be projected forward, the pin raised, and the link permitted to escape.

Having described my improvement, what I claim as new is- 1. Combined with the slideC and draw-head A, the ejector-spring Dnotch n, and detent f H, substantially as set forth.

2,. Combined with the 'draw-head A and extensionslide C, thevvertically-moving gate E and its actuating-lever F,;substantially for the purpose set forth. l 'f 3. A draw-head, A, with an automatic slide, C, its actuating-spring and holding-notch and detent, in combination -with the latch lever I, as s et forth. l w v 4. The rack J, pinion K, and pulley L, and the connecting cord Aor chain, .combined with `the slide C, draw-head A, and pin N, for the purpose of automatically raisingsaid pin when coupling or nncoupling, as set forth.

' v y JOSEPH A. VOGLER.

Witnesses:

-WrL H. MINNIX G. GORDON.; 

